Museum layout & seating exemplary but cafes lacking
First i have to say there is too much here for one day, we have been twice so far (ticket we bought is a years pass) and have still not seen everything, unless of course you were to rush around and just look at tiny snippets of info.As my grandad was in the first tanks in world war 1 but never talked about it, i was very interested to read all the information i could about the first tanks, how they originated, what how where they were used in ww1. So that was our first trip. It waa very informative. I already knew my grandad was in the KOYLI'S who basically dug the trenches and fought, then the Machine Gun Corps, which was made up of skilled sharp shooters, who were used in/became the very first Tank Corps.It was very interesting and informative to read normal peoples stories who worked in the Tanks. The museum had lots of short interesting bits of information and stories, which were easy to read, print was a good size and not too much at once. Im afraid because i did a course in museum studies and and and when i go around museums i look at how things are displayed and preserved.The other excellent thing i noticed were the number of seats available to rest arthritic legs, helping people with a disability like me, trying to avoid being in a wheelchair.My one suggestion is place more facing the video sections & in general where there is a lot of information on a board to read. This museum is very big, so i needed to sit down.The visitors mainly seemed very courteous and all of us considering each other, ie moving out of way while someone photographs a particular tank. This was such a pleasant change to the normal rudeness you find so often. Gave my visit a lot happier.So, the exhibits were laid out so you could pretty much get the whole tank in a photograph and seats regularly placed if you need a rest. Writing titles clear large to read with short descriptions at start of every section. Then more detail.On my second trip i looked at 1920s to end of ww2, there was so much information to take in, that was enough for me that trip.So our next trip will be 1950s plus.It is well laid out, with 2 main areas but then a few smaller displays like trench life, also excellent. Standing in a lifesize replica was very moving, poignant. My grandad had many friends die esp at Somme and Arras, so this made it real.It is so important to understand what these soldiers gave up, suffering dying, so we could have our freedom today. The sacrifice they made should never be forgotten. So museums like this which inform, making it easy to get around (seating areas) for everyone to learn from this, is so important. It also makes you understand what people are doing now to keep the peace around the world. I deeply admire them. Thanks to the Tank Museum for doing this do well.My only slight niggle was one cafe closed really early, me with arthritis walked a long way to use it because my husband loved their hotdogs! There were no signs to say it was closed which woukd have been h helpful, in the other cafe or when you enter the museum, the website is a nightmare, wven finding basic opening hours! The main cafe stopped selling hot food really early, again wish they stated this, we got hungry at 3pm to find cold snacks only. But the scone & cake i had were lovely!I recommend a visit but if hungry go to cafe early and ask someone if the cool little cafe by the Afghanistan exibit, is open. The shop- lots of ace value books.
